Ditch-digging machine.



J. EMBLETON, DBD. G. w. oowILL. AnnInIsTnuonA Patented Fb.'16, 1909.

3 QHBIITS-SHEBT 1.

f .r mn, a W W mii W -1 W M4 L y fm J. EMBLETON, DEUD. G. W OOWGILL,ADMINISTRATOR. BITCH mesma MACHINE. APPLIUATIVDN FILED APE. 28, 1908.912, 937, Patented Feb. 16, 1909.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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@Ummm M. 6.4% j Mgl J. EMBLETON, DECD. G, w, GOWGILL, ADMINISTRATOR,

DITGH DIGGING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.2B,1908.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

3 SHBETS-BHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

GEORGE W. GOWUILL, 0F PHOENIX, ARlZONA TERRTORY, Al'lltllNlSTItATOR QFJAMES EMBLETON, DECEASED.

DITUH-DIGGING MACHINE Speoicaton of Lettera Patent.

Application llled April 2B, 1908. Serial No. 429,761.

Patented are. io, i909.

.is especially designed for di ging irrigating ditches, one which issimp e, durable and efficient and which can be manufactured and sold ata comparatively low cost.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a ditch di gingmachine where 1n the excavating mec ianisin is constructed to reduce thecutting resistance to the minil mum.

. of a portion of the excavating mechanism.

Fi 5 is a sectional view taken on a plane 1n icated by the luie 5 5 ofFig. l, looking in the direction indicated i by the arrow. F ig. 6 is aview in side elevation of a portion of one of the frames of theexcavating mechanism. Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation thereof. Fig.8 is a detail pers )ective View of one of the soil loosening teetlh ofthe excavating mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail perspoot-ive view of one ofthe scoopsof the excavating mechanism. Fig. 10 is a view in sideelevation of the means by which the slopes of the ditch are made., andof the means by which the slope formeris secured in applied position,and Fig. 11 is a view in front elevation of the slope former.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, r1 designates a pair ofrelatively spaced parallel 4beams or girders, which are suitably united"und braced to provide a strong, durable and efficient frame for theimproved ditch digging machine.

2 designates a pair of front supporting and traction wheels, and 3 apair of rear supporting Wheels. The front wheels 2 are secured to a'shaft 4 jourualcd in the side beams or girders 1, while the wheels 3 aresecured to a shaft 5 jouriiaied in brackets t secured to the side beamsor girders 1. A s rocket wheel 7 is secured between and to tfic frontWheels .2 by means of bolts S, see Fig. 5 of the drawings. A pluralityof explosive eiigincs i) ai' mounted upon the rear end of the frame os.the machine above the wheels El, and thc shaft 1() thereof is providedwith a balance Wheel 11` The engines 9 are supplied with motive fluidfrom a tank 12 by means of a pipe 13. The tank 12 is secured by means ofstrips 14 to a platform 15, which is supported above the engines 9 onstandards .16. The standards 16 are secured to the side beams or girders1 of the frame of the machine and rise vertically therefrom.

A power shaft 17 is journaled ou thc frame of the machine and is adaptedto be connected with and disconnected from the engine shaft l0 by menusof a clutch lH. The movable member nt' the clutch 18 i.-: connected to nlever l5), which in turn is connected by means of a link :Ztl to :ilever 21. The lever Q1 is secured to a longitudinull)v -niovable rod 22.the operating end of which is disposed above a platform 221., tueplatform being adapted to support the oper- :ttor of the ditch diggingmachine. A worm 2.4 is'kevod to the driving shaft 17 and meshes with aworm gear 25 which is keyed to a shaft 213. The shaft 26 is journaled inbca rings :2T secured to vertical standards 28, `said standards beingstrengthened by means of braces 29 which nrc secured thereto and to thestandard 16. Beams 30 are projected forwardly1 from the standards QS andare supported at their front ends by means of standards 31 secured toand preferably formed inte rally with the side beams or girdcrs 1 o theframe. The shaft 2G is provided with a gear wheel 32 which meshes with alarger gear wheel 33 secured to :i shaft 34. f 'lhe shaft 34 isjournuled in bear iupl brackets 35 secured to the beams 30. A .smallsprocket 36 is secured to the shaft 34 and is connected with thesprocket 7 of fra 912,937

the front supporting and traction wheels by means of a s rocket chain37.

When it is esired to set the improved ditch digging machine in motion,it is only necessary to start the engines 9 and throw the relativelymovable member of the clutch `18 into engagement with the relativelystationary member thereof. lhe relatively movable member of the clutch18 is ada ted to be operated through the medium o the rod 22. The shaft17 is adapted to be driven from the engine shaft l() and is adapted toimpart motion to the front supporting and traction wheels 2. A tank 38is secured to the underside of the frame of the machine and is adaptedto carry water for cooling the cylinders of the engines 9.

A shaft 39 is `ournaled in bearing brackets 40 secured to t e beams 30and is adapted to be rotated from the shaft 34 through a train of gears41, 42 and 43. The gears 4l. and 42 are secured to a shaft 44 journaledin bearing brackets 45 secured to the beams 30, and the cars 43 aresecured to the shaft 39. A cluti V46 is mounted upon the shaft 44 andconnected with the gear 42, said clutch providing means by which theexcavating mechanism can be thrown into. and out of operation, saidmechanism' being ada )ted to be carried by the shaft 39.. A shaft 47 issupported in parallel alinement with the shaft 39 by means of rods 48which are secured to` bearin blocks 49 carried by the shafts. Pairs opolygonal wheels 50 are secured to the shafts 39 and 47,* the wheels ofeach pair being vertically ahned. S rocket chains 5l are mounted uponthe w eels 50, and scoo s 52 and soil loosening teeth 53 are secure toeach pair of chains 51. The teeth 53 and scoops 52 are alternatelyarranged, and the teeth project be`l yond the planes of the scoo is.

During the operation o the excavating mechanism the teeth yengage andloosen the soil and the scoops engage and pick up the soil after thesame has been loosened by the teeth. The teeth and scoops of one air ofthe chains constitute a set of excavating devices. The teeth of one setof excavating devices are alined in a horizontal direction with thescoops of the next adjacent set of excavatin devices. The relativearrangement of tie teeth and scoops of each set of excavating devicesand the relative arrangement between the teeth and scoops of t differentsets of excavating devis are such as to reduce the cuttin resistance tothe minimum. The scoops eposit the soil on a delivery device 54,V whichis adasted to deosit the soil on each side of the itch. The deliverydevice consists of a pair of chutes which incline downwardly andlaterally from the longitudinal center of the machine, said sooo sprojectin at a suitable distance beyond tiie sides of t e machine. Theexca- The scoop may vating mechanism has a transverse extent greaterthan the ga e of the wheels, wherey to enable the mac ine to travel in adit/ch. As the machine travels in the ditch it is always su ported by ahard level surface. As the sha t 47 is sus ended from the shaft 39, thelower end of t 1e excavating mechanism may be moved to and held at anypoint in the are of a circle. In view of such adjustability of the lowerend of the excavatin mechanism, the cuttin de th of the teet 53 may beregulated. loe s 55 are secured to each pair of rods 28 and areconnected by rods 56. The lower end of the cutting mechanism may beadjusted through the medium of a lever 57 which has its operating enddisposed above the platform 23 and which is secured at its opposite endto a rock shaft 58. Crank arms 59 are secured to the shaft58 and linkbars 60 are secured to the crank arms 59 and to the shaft 56. Theeonnection between the lever 57 and the blocks 55 is such that when thelever is moved u wardly the lower end of excavating meciianism isadjusted to decrease the .cutting depth of the teeth 53, While when thelever is moved in the reverse direction the lower end of excavatingmechanism is adjusted to increase the euttin depth of the teeth.

The machine as a oye describedis adapd to dig a ditch with `verticalside walls. i `o provide the ditch with laterally inclined siglewalls,there is provided the device disclosed in Figs. 10 and 11 ofhe`drawings,which device is hereinafter referred to as slope formera..The slope former is substantially in the form 0`f a scoop comprising abottom wall 61 and lt= erally diverging side walls 62. The edges of thebottom and each side wall are sharpened to provide thb slope former witha cutting ed e. The slope former is adapted to be secure in advance ofthe excavating mechanism by means of bars 63, which are se cured to theside""walls thereof and which are ada ted to be secured to the shaft 4of the mac ine. The side walls 62 of the slope former are curvedinwardly to direct the soil in position to be gathered up by the scoops52, and the side walls are prevented from lateral distortion by means ofa brace 64. be adjusted vertically by means of brackets 65 carried b therod 56 and bolts secured to the ars 63 and passing freely through thebrackets 65. Nuts 67 are mounted on t e threaded ends of the bolts 56 tosecure them in their adjusted positions. It is to be understood that theslope of the former is only used after the ditch has been dug.

From the fore oing description taken in connection with t e accom theconstruction and mo e of operation o the invention should beunderstoodwithout a furtherfextended description. A

Changes in the form, proportions, and

ist

minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the claimswithout departing from the s irit or sacrificing any of the advantages othe invention.

Having fully described and illustrated the invention7 what is claimedis:

1. A ditch digging machine comprising a w.\eeled frame, propelling meansmounted on the frame and connected with the propelling Wheels, anexcavating mechanism mounted on the frame and connected with thepropelling wheels, said excaratin mech anism consisting of a shaftjournale on the frame, another shaft, means adapted to support saidother shaft on the shaft journaled on the frame, wheels mounted upon theshaft, a chain mounted on the wheels, scoops secured to the chain, teethsecured to the. chain, a rock shaft journaled on the frame. a connectionbetween the rock shaft and said means, and a lever secured to the rockshaft.

2. A ditch digging machine comprising a wheeled frame, propelling meansmounted on'the frame and connected with the wheels, an excavatingmechanism mounted on the frame and connected with the propelling means,and a slope former secured to the frame.

3. A ditch digging ,machine comprising a wheeled frame, propelling meansmounted on the frame and connected with the Wheels, an excavatingmchanism mounted on the frame and connected with the propelling means,and a slo )e former secured to thc frame. said slope ormcr consisting ofa bottom wall and laterally diverging side walls, said side walls beingheut inwardly in the direction of their inner ends to guide the soilonto the excavating mechanism.

4. A ditch digging machine comprising n wheeled frame, a propellingmeans mounted on the frame and connected With the Wheels, the excavatingmechanism mounted on the frame and connected with the propelling means,a slope former, and means adapted to adjustablyfand detachably securethe slope former to the frame.

5. A ditch digging machine includi au excavating mechanism whichconsists o sets of digging devices, each set of digging devicescomprising alternately arranged scoo s and teeth. the teeth of one setof dig ing evices being alined horizontally with the scoops of the nextadjacent set of digging devices.

6. The combination with a ditch digging machine, of a slope formersecured thereto.

7. The combination with a ditch digging machine.y of a slopeformersecured thereto, said slope former being disposed in advance of theexcavating' mechanism oty thc machine.

8. The combination with a ditch di ing machine. of a slope formeradjuatabyg secured thereto.

t). A ditch digging nntchine including a slope former which comprises ascoop, and means by which the scoop may he adjustably Yand detachablysecured in applied position.

l0. An excavating machine including a slope former which com )rises ascoop and means adapted to detacha ly secure the scoop in appliedposition.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE lV. COVVGILL;A -lflmz'nstra-fm' of the cs'tatc of James Em-Mfftma.

` Vl'itnesses:

Amer. S. Hum, CHESTER A. WoLFE.

